Good morning, Autopians! For your mid-week Showdown, we’re going to look at a couple of American fixer-uppers from the same year: 1990. Both of them need a little love, but both of them are probably worth it.
But first, let’s see which BMW you chose yesterday. It sounds like you had a bit of a hard time choosing between these two, but in the end, the 535i took a two-to-one win over the little 3 Series. Some of you commented that a six-cylinder is the only “proper” engine for a BMW to have, and I guess I’d agree, except that the 2002 was a thing, and if it wasn’t a proper BMW, nothing is.
I would have a hard time choosing between them as well. I’d be a lot more inclined to vote for the 535 if it were any color but bright red; I’m still not a fan of red cars. But it’s significantly cheaper, and has a more honest-sounding ad.
It’s funny how your perception of time changes as you get older. 1990 was the year I graduated from high school, and it’s hard to believe that that was twice as long ago as my age at the time (yes, I graduated at 17; I was a precocious little shit). Even harder to believe is that what I considered a “classic” car at the time, my dad’s friend’s 1968 Ford Galaxie, was only 22 years old then. 22-year-old cars now are my bread-and-butter on here; they’re just old crappy cars, nothing “classic” about them.
And here we have two vehicles from 1990 that have passed through the veil of merely old and crappy and have emerged as classics. They’re both as old and tired as I feel some mornings, and both in need of some serious overhaul work. But are their best days behind them? Hell no. Let’s see which one you’re more willing to whip back into shape.
1990 Dodge Dakota Sport Convertible – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 3.9 liter overhead valve V6, five-speed manual, RWD
Location: Concord, CA
Odometer reading: 156,000 miles
Operational status: Runs, but needs a lot of work
This was a new one on me. I knew about the Dakota convertible, of course, but I had no idea they were available with a manual transmission. I’ve only ever seen automatics. I coudn’t find the exact production figures, but fewer than 4,000 Dakota convertibles were built in total, and only a few hundred of those were manuals. This is a rare vehicle.
The Dakota convertible was built by ASC, like a lot of convertibles built in the US. It has a manual top, and a roll bar behind the seats. As far as I can tell, the convertible was only available with the Sport package, which included the stripes, the alloy wheels, the blackout trim, and the 3.9 liter V6, This is before the Magnum multi-port fuel injection days; this one makes do with basic throttle-body fuel injection. The seller says it starts and runs, but “the engine does not have a lot left in it.” What that means, I don’t know, but if it starts and runs, at least you can find out. It also needs a new clutch and some cooling system work.
The interior is partially disassembled, but the seller says all the parts are there except the carpet. The power windows and locks don’t work, and I don’t see any mention of air conditioning. Good thing the top is manual.
The outside looks all right, but it’s no show truck. The stripes are cracked in a few places, and there are some bad spots in the paint. There is also a little bit of rust in the windshield header; it’s probably nothing, but it bears some investigation. All in all, this truck has good bones, it looks like, and since most of what it needs is mechanical, it shouldn’t be too difficult to repair.
1990 Chevrolet Corvette – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 5.7 liter overhead valve V8, six-speed manual, RWD
Location: Arden, CA
Odometer reading: 114,000 miles
Operational status: Was running recently, now won’t start, and clutch is shot
Another example of the time slipping away phenomenon is that in my mind, I still think of the C4 Corvette as “the new Corvette.” Probably because I remember what a big deal it was when it came out. It was such a radical departure from the old C3 that it may as well have been a spaceship. It feels dated now, but I still can’t help but think of it as new, which makes seeing a faded, worn-out one like this a bit surreal.
1990 was a weird year for the Corvette, the first year of the new interior and the last year of the old exterior. It’s also the second year for the six-speed ZF manual transmission, instead of the old Doug Nash 4+3. The six-speed has an annoying feature called Computer Aided Gear Selection, CAGS for short, or “that stupid skip-shift thing” by nearly anyone who has driven one. CAGS locks you out of second and third gear when you’re puttering around at low speeds, forcing you to upshift from first to fourth, in the name of fuel economy. You’ll be happy to know that a simple bypass connector is available to eliminate it, and it only costs like twenty bucks.
In front of that six-speed gearbox is a tuned-port injection 350 V8, RPO code L98, making 245 horsepower. The days of slow Corvettes were over by 1990; this one ran to 60 MPH in a respectable 5.7 seconds and managed low 14s in the quarter mile. This one sat for a long time, but the seller had it running just a couple of weeks ago, and now it won’t start again. It’s gotta be fuel or spark, and my first guess would be fuel. I bet they didn’t clean out the tank or the lines, and just dumped some new gas in. It’s probably gummed up.
It also needs–let’s see –a new clutch, new shocks, an E-brake cable, a rear wheel bearing, a new windshield, new weatherstripping, and the air conditioning fixed. That’s quite a list of stuff, but if you have the ability to do the work yourself, it’s not a whole lot of money in parts.
The nice thing about both of these vehicles is that, if you don’t mind a little faded paint, they only need mechanical repairs. And we’re talking about a Chevy and a Dodge, nothing exotic. Just buy some parts, turn some wrenches, and you’ll end up with a fun-to-drive classic that you don’t have to fuss over, whichever one you choose.
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
Barbie’s Dakota dream truck for 4K and it needs ….everything! Plus the interior put pack together. Too much.
You have made me choose a C4. Damn you to hell. It sounds like it can be sorted out to run and then 3-4 grand later a “fun” car. At least one I think I could sell easily enough to recoup my money.
Whoa, this is my dream C4. Go ahead, make fun of me. But give me that earlier body style with the 6-speed and the awesome L98 engine?! Yes please! I’ll navigate whatever fuel weirdness is going on there!
Oh boy. Do I need to buy this car? I might need to buy this car. It’s a horrible idea. Where’s my wallet…
I appreciate a cheap(ish) Corvette you can either restore or hoon, but the Dakota is intriguing! It might not be Concours ready, but swap a cheap engine and you’ve got a great cars & coffee ride.
The C4’s interior isn’t as bad as I thought it would be but I know how much it costs to fix it; and I prefer the 1992 version anyway. Dakota all day.
The fact I chose the Dakota is very telling of how I feel about C4s, especially a non-running one that needs a clutch.
C4? More like C-ya later. The only C in my life is “C” for convertible. Convertible Dakota, that is.
The Dakota is very tempting, and I like it a lot, but I think the Vette should be easy enough to fix up and start driving, and I also don’t have much use for a convertible pickup compared to my want for another V8 manual coupe. C4 Corvette please.
That Dakota is a Holy Grail of Dakotas. Gotta have that truck!
I love me a good C4 Corvette, but that truck is just too rare to not pick up. 🙂
245HP, but 345 ft/lbs of torque. I love those engines. It will rip the tires loose like nothing else (of its era). I had one in a Trans-Am, two in Corvettes, and I put one in a Toyota pickup.
$25 ignition module, $200 clutch, and a 10 cent resistor for the CAGS disable (if it hasn’t been done already). C4 haters can hate, but that’s a lot of fun for less than 4 grand.
And the Dakota is weird. I’d like it better with a top.
Corvette, please.
I like the idea of the Dakota. I’d like it more if it had a 318 (5.2) or a 360 (5.9), but in general I don’t need a fairly rare convertible truck that I wouldn’t want to use for truck things.
The C4 has more potential, I think, especially as something to hoon and over which not to fuss. It is a high production car and at this point is essentially in “cheap used vehicle” territory. It does need work but those items are merely opportunities for upgrades.
I am mildly curious how the ‘Corvette’ trim strip was installed upside-down on the passenger side door card, but maybe that’s just part of the mystique.
I’ve only ever seen 1 Dakota convertible in the wild. 20+ years ago in Calgary. I honestly never knew they existed and at the time figured it was home built job because Alberta.
Voted Corvette. Way easier to find parts for those I assume and no end of aftermarket support to make them way more fun.
I like the convertible Dakota more than I should, so I chose that
Seems like both are at least twice what they should be. Anyway, the vette is one of my halo cars and I also think of it as the new vette. I’d go with it.
NOPE
I’d go with the Dodge if it cost less. Engine will soon die + I want $4k for it does not compute. The scruffy C4 takes wins the race between cars being pushed over the finish line.
I like them both, but there are a bajillion Corvettes out there that all look the same, and it won’t be cheap to fix that many mechanicals. Might as well have something unique, and get the Dakota.
I’m thinking the same way, plus these old Dakota’s are simple as dirt mechanically and the interior looks better. I realize EVERY part for a C4 Vette is available aftermarket but the $$ add quickly.
They do. That Vette will cost well more than the purchase cost to get back on the road. The Dakota you could probably just swap in a junkyard 3.9 and roll.
It’s an old Chevy, not an exotic. I really can’t think of a scenario where getting it roadworthy would cost ‘well over’ $3,500, especially if you do your own work. The biggest expense would be the clutch and even if you had a shop do it, it wouldn’t run a guy more than about a grand.
You’d be surprised how many Vette specific parts there are in these, and how expensive they can be. Clutch, shocks, wheel bearings, weather stripping, the air conditioning (if that’s important to you), and $5 says those tires are at least 15 years old. Them things ain’t cheap. It adds up REAL quick.
I’m not saying it isn’t worth it. C4s are awesome, and that one has an easy engine to modify and the good manual trans. I’m just saying for that much money, I personally would rather have something that doesn’t blend into a sea of Corvettes, most of which will still look nicer than mine with the roached paint. But don’t kid yourself about how cheap an old Chevy is to get going again. Corvettes are not cheap to buy parts for.
I’ve been underwhelmed by every C4 I’ve ridden in. I know they are a LOT of bang for buck, but they seem so uncivilized. Probably better to just drive the hell out of.
Why are there no links?!?!
I can’t send my wife links to absolutely ridiculous Dakotas that she knows I would buy if it weren’t for her when there are no links!
The “headline” for each car is a hyperlink. So on “1990 Chevrolet Corvette – $3,500” takes you to the Craigslist post.
Weird…not working for me on Firefox
Firefox always eats the Showdown poll but leaves hyperlinks intact. I’ll just post them below for you!
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/concord-rare-dodge-dakota-convertible/7736744196.html
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/sacramento-1990-corvette-z51-speed/7736882640.html
You’re awesome, thanks! (my wife will hate you)
Full Your Driveway With Shitboxes With This One Weird Trick. Wives Hate Him!
That makes no sense to me, because I actually create the poll in Firefox. Do you have Javascript turned off or something?
It appears that setting Enhanced Tracking Protection to Strict in Firefox is what results in the poll being deleted. On both desktop and mobile I usually have it set to Strict, which explains why the poll is usually gone.
The headlines for each section are the link to the CL ad if you mouse over them.
C4 Vettes are a dime a dozen. But that Dakota is an endangered bird that needs to be relocated to a sanctuary where it can run free and hopefully breed with other convertible manual Dakotas so that we can have more manual convertible pickups in the future.
This was my logic too. I wouldn’t voluntarily buy either of them at their asking prices, but if I HAVE to buy one of these overpriced shitboxes, I’ll take the rare overpriced shitbox over the common overpriced shitbox.
Exactly. Which one is gonna get more attention at the next Radwood show? Hint: it ain’t the Corvette.
Gotta go with the one that will be more fun to drive once fixed up. Guess I’ll have to order a pair of New Balance and a pair of jorts.
I have been casually looking for a C4 6-speed for a while now, and this is very much on the cheap end, assuming it can be running cheaply and quickly, even with the L98, that said, the wiring in the engine bay and interior condition are enough to drive me to the oddball Dakota. It’s just to much more unique and quirky than a crusty and slow C4, even if parts will be harder to find.
Man, I love me a C4, and it’s in a good color, but I never liked the refreshed interior … and while the Dakota ‘vert may or may not be a Holy Grail(tm), it’s still pretty danged rare. Plus, it’s a red pickup, which is always a winner around here. We’ll take the truck.
Mark, you had several “wow, I’m old” moments in the article and this is mine. Was it that long ago that these things were $9.99? Yeah, I guess it was.
Still, it’s hard to believe that too many of those older GMs haven’t had one installed over the years. Finding an intact CAGS is someday going to be like finding a manual Dakota convertible.
The Corvette is not rare, but the Dakota with a manual IS properly rare. I’m not sure it would be worth fixing everything in the end, though. My vote goes to the Dodge.
Objectively, the Corvette is the better buy here. It’s cheaper, upgrades are readily available, and even if you just get it running reliably, it’s going to be the better vehicle.
Still voted Dakota convertible. DON’T JUDGE ME.
The Corvette is boring. Frankly, I’m judging anyone who doesn’t vote for the Dakota.